Connecting Icom VHF to Raymarine GPS

[SEMPERAVANTI41]

Connected Icom VHF to Raymarine GPS. Amazed to find Hunter factory ran wire to GPS and taped it to wire from Icom VHF. All I needed to do was to make a connection for VHF to receive GPS information. Wondering if this was overlooked on my boat or for some reason Hunter does not do a hook up?

 

[Ron20324]

The factory does not always install any or all electronics. It is left to the selling dealer to accomodate whatever the buyer wants installed.

 

[smokey73]

Connected Icom VHF to Raymarine GPS. Amazed to find Hunter factory ran wire to GPS and taped it to wire from Icom VHF. All I needed to do was to make a connection for VHF to receive GPS information. Wondering if this was overlooked on my boat or for some reason Hunter does not do a hook up?

I need to do that. Can you tell me how you did the hookup. (color wires on gps to color wires on ICOM)
Thanks in advance (pictures would be great if you have them).

 

[seadaddler]

My dealer hooked up my wires to the GPS for me,try the manual of the GPS or
the manual for the VHF.
Nick

 

[Joe]

I'm sure that info is in the respective manuals. If you were more specific in your instrument description someone here might google the operation manual for each.... It is entirely possible that you may need to determine if your need a direct connection between gps and vhf, or that a network connection is preferred.. NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, etc.

 

[smokey73]

Thanks. I have a Raymarine a98 with an ICOM506 VHS radio. I have spoken with both the ICOM techs and the Raymarine Techs. The connection needs to be a direct NMEA 0183 connection using 4 wires (not through the network buss) and I am getting completely different information from the ICOM techs and the Raymarine Techs. As in each says the other doesn't know what they are talking about. Kind of frustrating. Both use 4 wires but there seems to be some "disagreement" as to how things are hooked up. I was hoping that someone who has made the hookup and it works might give me some perspective that I can build on. I was hoping SEMPER could get in touch with me and I could see what he has and how it compares with mine. Hope that helps put it into context of my question. If anyone else has experience with this hookup I'd appreciate the tips. I would like the DSC function automatic on gps postion from the a98. And, no - the respective manuals aren't particularly clear.

 

[Hello Below]

I have a Raymarine a98 with an ICOM506 VHS radio

Connect the NMEA 0183 Tx output of the VHF to the NMEA 0183 Rx input of the MFD (2 wires). And connect the NMEA 0183 Tx output of the MFD to the NMEA 0183 Rx input of the VHF (2 wires).

Here are the installation manuals:
Icom (page 101) http://www.icomamerica.com/en/downloads/default.aspx?Category=591
Raymarine (page 43) https://raymarine.app.box.com/s/8o1sxspkhvf8ev7smk40/1/1327412824/30603262973/1

The MFD will send the NMEA GPS sentences to the VHF and the VHF will send DSC sentences to the MFD.

 

[SEMPERAVANTI41]

Smoky 73, I did not write down the colors of the wires or take pictures. I think on the Icom the wires are red and white with bare ground. These wire were taped to Hunter wire, a grey outer wrapped wire with a red, yellow and bare wire from Hunter. I connected the bares all together and the red from the Icom went to the yellow Hunter wire, and the white Icom wire went to the red of the Hunter wire. Not being 100% sure that the Hunter wire was for the GPS I tested it's voltage first without anything connected to it to see if it might be a power connector. As the voltage was .05 volt, I felt comfortable doing the connection. You will know when the wiring is correct as "GPS" will appear on the Icom screen. After it is working contact BoatUS to get an MMSI number.

 

[smokey73]

Smoky 73, I did not write down the colors of the wires or take pictures. I think on the Icom the wires are red and white with bare ground. These wire were taped to Hunter wire, a grey outer wrapped wire with a red, yellow and bare wire from Hunter. I connected the bares all together and the red from the Icom went to the yellow Hunter wire, and the white Icom wire went to the red of the Hunter wire. Not being 100% sure that the Hunter wire was for the GPS I tested it's voltage first without anything connected to it to see if it might be a power connector. As the voltage was .05 volt, I felt comfortable doing the connection. You will know when the wiring is correct as "GPS" will appear on the Icom screen. After it is working contact BoatUS to get an MMSI number.

Thanks all. I have a four wire setup that allows two way transmission from the a98 to/from the ICOM506. I ran shielded instrument wires from the pedistal to the radio (at the nav station). I must have something hooked up wrong because the ICOM shows no gps input. I checked the baud rate from the a98 and it is set right. I can't find a setting on the radio to "enable DSC gps) or the like so I may have hooked up the wires incorrectly or may have a bad connection. I'll keep plugging away at the problem and eventually get it solved. Thanks again everybody for the info.

 

[sailingseadragon]

Smoky
This may not apply to your installation - but here goes. Check the Raymarine & ICOM manuals to verify the NMEA 0183 "sentences" that your radio requires and confirm that the correct "sentences" are available via the Raymarine port you have chosen. On the earlier generation of Raymarine instruments not all NMEA ports sent the same NMEA "sentences".

My Raymarine ST60 instruments NMEA 0183 port did not sent the correct GPS sentence needed for my ICOM 502 to have the needed "time & lat/long" information. However the NMEA out on my Autopilot core pack did/does. So after several frustrating days of messing with my configuration, I moved the radio input form the ST60 NMEA "out" to the Core Pack NMEA "out" - puff everything worked.

Garner